Peace officers: confidential communications: exceptions: group peer support services.

Senator Grayson's legislation expands confidentiality protections for law enforcement personnel participating in peer support services while adding juvenile delinquency proceedings to the circumstances where protected communications may be disclosed. The measure modifies California's Law Enforcement Peer Support and Crisis Referral Services Program by extending privacy safeguards to group support settings where multiple officers receive assistance from peer support team members or mental health professionals.

The bill redefines confidential communications to encompass exchanges between law enforcement personnel during group support sessions, maintaining existing protections for one-on-one peer support and crisis hotline interactions. Under the amended provisions, officers retain the right to prevent disclosure of these communications except in specified situations, including criminal proceedings, juvenile cases, or when disclosure could prevent death or substantial bodily harm. The legislation preserves current exceptions that permit sharing information to facilitate crisis referrals, enable consultation between peer support team members, or comply with other legal requirements.

These modifications to the Government Code establish parameters for group-based peer support while preserving the program's core confidentiality framework. The measure defines group peer support services as sessions involving at least one qualified peer support team member or mental health professional serving multiple law enforcement recipients. This format joins existing program elements like crisis defusing, on-scene support, and referral services designed to help officers cope with critical incident stress and trauma.